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Histo‐blood group antigens as differentiation markers in testicular germ cell tumours
Author(s) -
DABELSTEEN ERIK,
JACOBSEN GRETE KRAG
Publication year - 1991
Publication title -
apmis
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.909
H-Index - 88
eISSN - 1600-0463
pISSN - 0903-4641
DOI - 10.1111/j.1699-0463.1991.tb05167.x
Subject(s) - antigen , biology , cellular differentiation , germ cell , pathology , blood group antigens , immunology , genetics , medicine , gene
The distribution of histo‐blood group antigens in a series of eleven human non‐seminomatous testicular germ cell tumours is described and the variable expression of these antigens is related to the patterns of differentiation that are reflected morphologically within these tumours. The results suggest that histo‐blood group antigens of type 2 chain carbohydrate structures may be used as markers of differentiation. All the tumours contained binary 2–3 sialosyllactosamine structures. N‐acetyllactosamine and Le y ‐negative tumours were the least differentiated morphologically, while N‐acetyllactosamine and Le y ‐positive tumours exhibited more differentiated tumour patterns. Whether the occurrence of the latter antigens in poorly differentiated forms of germ cell tumours reflects a biological potential for differentiation remains to be proven in a larger material.